Les Beazley is the baker and owner of the Artisan Village Bakery and Café in Denton, Manchester.

The venture began for Les in May 2017 when he took over the site of an old bicycle shop, gutted the property and transformed it into a quaint bakery that’s full of character. In fact, it’s the only independent bakery and café in the local area – a sad sign of the times, perhaps.

Immediately, Les’ passion and enthusiasm for baking was evident in the way he spoke about his craft, and the love and care that had gone into the wide array of neatly displayed treats in his shop was clear to see. Delicious pies, breads, pastries and even full meals are just some of the tantalizing offerings in this warm and inviting corner of the world.

Les is the definition of an early bird, at the bakery for 2am with his sleeves rolled up kneading the dough. Come opening time he’s ready for the customers who rely on him for their baked goods, in particular his fresh sourdough bread that people travel for from far and wide.

Everything in the shop is prepared fresh on the premises. Les’ motto is, “Put everything into it. If you are going to do it, then do it properly”. Les is a living example of this motto. In 2016, he was the Cambridge Weight Loss Plan’s star loser having lost a whopping 17 stone, all the while continuing to pour his passion and love into the bakery. That must take some will power considering he spends his day around tasty temptations!

Les wears a t-shirt that says: ‘I’m a BAKER – so what’s your SUPERPOWER?’, and there couldn’t be a better phrase to sum up this excellent baker who really does put everything into his craft.